Mobile telephony devices (often called smartphones) utilizing wireless communication protocols are ubiquitous. Many of these devices utilize one of the competing circuit switched cellular voice protocols (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)) for telephony voice communications with other telephony endpoint devices. More recently, many of these mobile telephony devices may also utilize an Internet Protocol (IP) communication link rather than a circuit switched communication link to exchange voice data with a communications server using a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system. The communications server mediates telephony calls between and among various endpoints. In addition, the mobile telephony device may also wirelessly connect to an IP network over one or more wireless IP interfaces and communication links.
The IP communication link may be 802.11 based such as WiFi or may be cellular based utilizing at least one of the many cellular IP air interfaces. There are several cellular IP air interfaces already in existence that use specific frequency ranges that are suitable for use with the embodiments described herein. It should be noted that the term 802.11 encompasses all of the 802.11 versions that currently exist and may be developed. Some cellular IP air interface examples include the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), Long-Term Evolution (LTE), Voice-over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), and High Rate Packet Data (HRPD). Moreover, there are many more wireless IP air interfaces in the planning and/or experimental stages (e.g., 5G, light-wave based, etc.) that use the same and/or different frequencies that would also be suitable for use with the embodiments described herein.
Some mobile telephony devices are capable of utilizing multiple different networks depending on network access or network conditions. For instance, the mobile telephony device may be able to communicate with a communications server that manages and mediates telephony calls, including the media stream itself, over either a circuit switched network or an IP based network. The communications server may be IP based but with interfaces to cellular circuit switched networks or the public switched telephone network (PSTN) as well as Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) networks. If the communications server is IP based, it may include additional intelligence that allows it intervene in the call flow as well as access other IP data networks like the Internet in general to engage in IP data sessions. Moreover, the communications server may access other IP data networks while simultaneously managing a telephony call between or among a plurality of telephony endpoint devices. The mobile telephony device(s) are also able to access IP data networks such as the Internet over 802.11 WiFi and/or a cellular IP data connection.
In addition, a new category of home electronic device called the smart speaker is emerging. Some smart speakers may even be capable of VoIP telephony. The smart speaker may be provisioned with its own telephone number, may be linked to the account of one or more other telephony devices (e.g., mobile phones) that have their own telephone number, or both.
What is needed is a mechanism for accessing and leveraging the communication server's ability to intervene in the call flow and utilize IP data networks during a voice communication session.